Understanding Menopause: How Yoga Can Help

Move over hot yoga, and make room for something even hotter. Now that Boomers are aging, with Gen Xers not far behind, some 6,000 women enter menopause every day in the U.S. That’s more than 2 million women a year joining the ranks of the post-menopausal, and many of us will be spending a third of our lives coping with what my mother’s generation referred to in mysterious whispers as The Change. Welcome to hot flash yoga.

Can yoga replace hormone replacement therapy? Why not? Hormones, biochemical molecules that signal and regulate human functions, are secreted into the bloodstream by the body’s endocrine glands, and yogis have long noted the correlation between the endocrine system and esoteric anatomy. Asana stretches and squeezes the endocrine glands. Chanting activates them through vibration and resonance. Mudra and dharana (concentration) stimulate the glands’ energetic correlates, the chakras.

How can this ease menopause? As a woman transitions toward menopause (typically between age 40 and 60), the ovaries begin to slow their production of estrogen. The endocrine glands attempt to regain balance. The pituitary may secrete more FSH and LH. The adrenals, thyroid, and other structures shift to produce more estrogen. However, the adrenals may already be overstressed, complicating this ongoing balancing act. The effects include hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, depression, and osteopenia (bone density loss).

Women in Western cultures are much more likely to experience these effects. This is often attributed to a Western diet, but stress may also be a factor. And then there’s the pervasive idea that menopause is a medical problem (a financial opportunity worth billions to drug companies and insurers). A friend once remarked that her health insurance company categorized her menopause symptoms as a “pre-existing medical condition” and slapped a rider onto her policy. Ouch!

But yoga can also help us go beyond addressing physical symptoms to embracing menopause as an opportunity, even as a blessing. Despite living in a technological society, women still share the touchstone of initiations and passages, from menarche to childbirth to menopause. Our cycles aren’t always convenient or pleasant, but they do connect us to nature—the moon, the tides, the seasons of life—and to each other. We learn to roll with change, becoming resilient while staying grounded. And, viewed through the lens of yoga, a woman’s physiology may help her focus inwardly in a culture obsessed with externalities. Diving into yoga’s deeper aspects is an ideal way to self-nurture, and not just at menopause.

What are some ways your practice is supporting you through life’s seasons?

A former teacher and forever student, Kathleen Bryant swapped her running shoes for a yoga blanket in 1992, when she joined her first Hatha Yoga class in the back room of a local crystal shop. After earning a 500-hour teaching certificate from the International Yoga College, she taught anatomy, asana, and other subjects at 7 Centers School of Yoga Arts in Sedona, AZ. Kathleen is especially interested in the therapeutic aspects of yoga and continues to learn from Rama Jyoti Vernon, an amazing yogini who inspires her students to integrate yoga philosophy and mythology with contemporary life. An award-winning author, she has also published a children’s story, a cookbook, and books that focus on Southwest culture, travel, and natural history.

There is 1 comment so far

Hi katherine: I loved what you wrote and I too have successfully gone through menaPAUSE as a beautiful journey in my life. As my teacher Shakt Parwha Kaur Khalsa said, it’s pause, not stop! I have continued to teach even more yoga and to practice yoga nidra regularly, although am needed some guidance on a specific sankalpa. The ones I’ve used I fear are too lengthy and wordy–my poor subconscious simply does not know which road to take! I wondered if you know of any good resources–I use Rod Stryker right not–for sankalpa study.

I have also been on the path of traveling and teaching and have also wrote a childrens’ yoga class, and want to publish it–can you give me any ideas on ways to bring this forth with little financial outlay?

Thanks so much and blessings on a prosperous, joyful and happy new year!

namaste,
Ajeet

Our Sponsors

Yoga Newsletter

Subscribe to our Yoga Newsletter and receive updates on yoga news, articles, inspiration and more. We send out only 1-2 emails per month and keep our list 100% private and spam free.

Our free Basics membership will autofill the comments form and grants access to our blog and article archives. Special "Basics membership only" content will be added in the future.

Our Yoga Books

Check out our yoga books: Yoga for Beginners takes you through all the basics of practicing yoga and then teaches you the poses in the context of a yoga practice sequence. Yoga Class guides you through eight lessons to learn 30 of the most commonly used poses while incorporating yogic philosophy and principles of alignment.

New to Yoga?

To get the most out of our site, we suggest you take some time to explore before jumping into the practice. Browse our yoga 101 section for general info on the history and types of yoga, then start exploring asanas the physical postures used in hatha yoga. Remember to breathe and always start your yoga practice with a brief meditation. If you are new to yoga, please read our Yoga for Beginner's page

Ahimsa / Non-Violence

Ahimsa, the yogic practice of non violence must be adhered to when engaging in the practice of hatha yoga. Respect your body's limitations and inner wisdom, if something feels wrong or dangerous, please do not do it.
Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.

Yogic Wisdom

Go sweep out the chamber of your heart.
Make it ready to be the dwelling place of the Beloved.
When you depart out, He will enter it.
In you, void of yourself, will He display His beauties.